CCR Update

CRTC sets rate of 52 cents per subscriber per month for use of inside wiringThe CRTC has set a rate of 52 cents per subscriber per month for the use of wiring by broadcast distributors in multiple-unit dwellings (MUD) – Broadcasting Public Notice 2002-51. The commission notes that it "sought to establish an inside wire fee for MUDs that would ensure consumers enjoy the full benefits of competition in distribution, including the benefits of end-user choice, while the interests of both incumbents and of new entrants are taken into account." The rate followed a process examining the issue that began in March with the release of Public Notice 2002-13 (CCR, March 15/02, Aug. 25/99). Rogers gets licences for new diginets…The CRTC has approved several Category 2 digital licences for Rogers Broadcasting Ltd., including one for the music video channel Big Pop TV – Broadcasting Decision 2002-262. Licences were also granted for a baseball channel (Broadcasting Decision 2002-263), for science channel (Broadcasting Decision 2002-264), and for a fishing channel (Broadcasting Decision 2002-265). …CRTC also approves more Category 2s for other playersThe CRTC also approved a number of other new Category 2 digital channels, including to Vincent Geracitano for All Points Bulletin – Broadcasting Decision 2002-266 – and its French-language equivalent Avis de Recherche – Broadcasting Decision 2002-267. John Maniatakos received a licence for the Canadian Arabic Television Network – Broadcasting Decision 2002-268. Also receiving approval for digital licences was MediaNet Canada Ltd. for an ethnic service known as NewsInternational (Broadcasting Decision 2002-269), a second ethnic station referred to as MovieWorld (Broadcasting Decision 2002-270), and an ethnic music channel called Music Music Music (Broadcasting Decision 2002-271). Ceylon Broadcasting Inc. was approved for a Category 2 licence for a national ethnic station known as Kallapam Tamil TV – Broadcasting Decision 2002-272. Astral reaches deal with Competition Bureau; will sell Quebec AM radio stations, CHOM-FM Astral Media and the Competition Bureau have reached an agreement over competitive concerns regarding Astral’s proposed acquisition of 19 French-language radio stations owned by Télémédia Radio Inc. in Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. While the sale was approved by the CRTC, the Competition Bureau had issue with competition issues in the markets of Montreal, Quebec, Gatineau-Ottawa, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and Chicoutimi-Jonquière. Under the deal, Astral must sell its French-language AM radio assets in Quebec as a network, and its CHOM-FM station in Quebec City. Astral announced September 3 that it would sell those stations to TVA Group Inc. and Radio Nord Communications for $12.75 million in cash. More details. CRTC agrees with Bell Globemedia/Netstar in complaint against Vidéotron…The CRTC has ruled in favour of Bell Globemedia in its complaint against Quebec cableco Vidéotron ltée accusing it of undue preference for unilaterally reducing the fees paid to Le Réseau des sports (RDS) by 62 per cent. Bell Globemedia noted that fees were not lowered to Vidéotron affiliate LCN – Broadcasting Decision 2002-255. The CRTC has ordered Vidéotron to reimburse Netstar/RDS from the date the new rate was unilaterally imposed. …Dismisses Vidéotron complaint against RDSIn a separate but similar dispute, the commission has dismissed a complaint filed by Vidéotron ltée, ruling that specialty channel Le Réseau des sports (RDS) did not give itself preference or subject the cableco to a disadvantage – Broadcasting Decision 2002-254. Vidéotron alleged that RDS was contravening Section 10.1 of the Specialty Services Regulations by tolerating satellite distributor Bell ExpressVu LP’s practice of offering multiple terminals for a single subscription, thus reducing the wholesale rate it pays RDS. Access to high-speed Internet via cable increasing: StatsCanAccess to high-speed Internet increased substantially in 2001 from the previous year, particularly in large urban centers, Statistics Canada reported September 3. Just over 9.4 million homes, or about 85 per cent of homes with cable access, had access to broadband service, up from 70 per cent a year earlier. But more than 70 per cent of cable homes in small communities did not have access to high-speed Internet by cable. Still, the number of homes in small communities with access more than doubled in 2001 to almost 363,000, representing 27 per cent. The figure is up from 11 per cent of rural residents that had access in 2000. In total, StatsCan reports that there were just under 1.4 million subscribers to Internet by cable at August 31, 2001, up 77 per cent from 2000. More details. Look introduces new channels to lineupLook Communications Inc. has added three digital channels to its lineup in the Ottawa region: National Geographic, Showcase Action and Biography. They are in a package called Look Wow, which is being offered to all Look viewers in the area on a free introductory preview. Look also announced that it had added the French-language arts channel ARTV to its offering in Quebec. It is available to subscribers of the Look Franco, Look Plus and Look Super packages. CRTC allows Global to acquire outstanding stake in CKMI and transmittersThe CRTC has approved Global Television’s acquisition of the 49 per cent interest held by TVA Regional Inc. in Global Television Network Quebec Limited Partnership, which operates CKMI-TV Quebec and its transmitters CKMI-TV-1 Montreal and CKMI-TV-2 Sherbrooke – Broadcasting Decision 2002-261. HGTV gets fresh look for fallThe specialty channel Home and Garden Television will have a new look for its fall season that moves "from a softer, muted palette to richer, more saturated colours and a new approach to the network’s on-screen layout." The new look was created by the creative services team at parent company Alliance Atlantis Broadcast Group. Vision TV takes on new look for fall seasonVision TV is rebranding in conjunction with the launch of its fall schedule on September 30. Toronto-based FRONT worked with the multifaith network on the new look. The rebranding is being done in conjunction with the station’s renewed dedication to its core mandate of creating television for people seeking the answers to big questions about the world and their place in it, Vision states in a media release. "We have developed a series of network IDs that use both live action and animation to take the viewer on a journey of imagination and inspiration, and help to reinforce the idea of Vision TV as a place for people in search of spiritual insight," says Suzanna Mandryk, Vision TV VP of communications and marketing. More details. AZCAR loses $1.09 million in Q2AZCAR Technologies, an independent technology integration company that provides the broadcast and communications industries with consulting engineering, systems design and integration services, had another bad quarter, losing $1.09 million or 7.2 cents a share in Q2. More details. INTERNATIONAL NEWS SeaChange revenue up due to VODQuarterly video-on-demand (VOD) revenue rose from US$10.9 million to US$15.1 million in the fiscal quarter ended July 31 at SeaChange International Inc., which enabled the company to post a 23 per cent jump in total revenue. President Bill Styslinger said the company’s VOD rollouts now reach 11.5 million basic subscribers. SeaChange also announced that it would be providing video-on-demand (VOD) systems for Insight Communications Company’s 10 cable systems that serve about 1.4 million customers. Rogers Cable Inc. uses SeaChange servers for the VOD service it is deploying (CCR, March 01/02). Charter dropping six diginetsNewsworld International, formerly owned by the CBC and Power Broadcasting Inc., is among six digital channels being dropped by Charter Communications from its system in St. Peters MO, according to Multichannel News. About 16,000 of the 50,000 basic subscribers in the system receive digital. The channel signals were being delivered to the cable system via AT&T’s Headend in the Sky (HITS), but Charter is moving away from using HITS in some markets. Charter is consolidating headends at its St. Louis cluster, and wants a consistent channel lineup across its systems, Charter spokesperson Dave Andersen told Multichannel News. More details. Cox reaches 1,000 HDTV subscribers in Vegas Cox Communications Inc. has signed up more than 1,000 high-definition television (HDTV) subscribers less than two months after launching the product. Subscribers are charged US$10.15 per month to rent a HDTV digital set-top box and remote control. More details.

CCR Update

News | 09/04/2002 4:00 am EDT

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